Reviews

When I tore plastic off this album, I had no idea what to expect. The cover is black with a skull on it, yet the name of the band suggests something a little less ear-splitting than hardcore. So, when I gave this CD its first spin, I was pleasantly surprised with the little ditties that presented themselves.
 
For a little background, Teenage Bottlerocket are four guys from Wyoming who have been active in their local scene for many years. Their ethos and commitment to what punk rock set out to be – hard work, unity, DIY – is well known in these parts. They’re the guys booking shows, loading equipment, pounding the streets and basically doing the hard yards as best they know how. Now, consider that they have Kody from the Lillingtons on vocals/guitar, identical twins Ray (vocals/bass) and Brandon (drums), and Joel (who also plays violin at Wyoming University) tearing it up on guitar, and you have yourself a pretty kick ass band.
 
Both Ray and Kody’s vocals are clear and concise, comparable to the likes of Teen Idols and No Motiv. It’s not hard to also find similarities to legendary pop punk acts such as The Ramones and Social Distortion, and that says a lot about the quality of Teenage Bottlerocket right there. Their music is simple, upbeat and energetic without those typical “modern pop punk” power chords every two seconds or the whiny “my voice is yet to break” vocals that make you want to blow up the studios down at MTV.
 
On “Total”, Teenage Bottlerocket play sensible punk rock that I find incredibly easy to listen to, and I’m not just talking about the music... I don’t have to get out a dictionary to try to work out what the hell these guys are singing about, and I don’t have to stock up on Kleenex, either.
 
Lines such as “The first time I saw you / you were drinking from the pony keg / but by the end of the night / you were dirty dancing on my leg” and the tongue-in-cheek “I like taking shit from assholes, it’s a dream come true / but five fifteen ain’t going to pay the rent” are typical of the lyrical nature on “Total” – to the point, simple, and honest. You can almost feel what it’s like to be in their shoes because you’ve been there and done some of this stuff yourself. You’ll hear angst-filled topics in a “Blood Bath At Burger King” and “A Bomb”, but mostly songs about girls (Radio, So Cool, Stupid Games, Repeat Offender), which is simultaneously a compliment and a criticism - you can relate to it, but you get the idea after four or five songs.
 
The rather generic lyrics are the only blight on an otherwise fantastic record, which is filled with fun, upbeat and at times humorous tracks that deliver a dose of old skool pop punk without too much fuss.